New bar to open downtown, Italian spot in Hampton Cove

Amendment 21 will open in the old House of Brews location sometime in JanuaryHUNTSVILLE, AL. - Have you been looking for - well, hoping for - a nice, classy bar downtown that's quiet? No music, no television, perfect for an intimate evening?

Or how about a new Italian place?

Both are on their way sometime in late January.

In the old House of Brews, 123 Northside Square, owners are bringing an upscale bar called Amendment 21, referring, of course, to the constitutional amendment that ended the 18th Amendment and repealed Prohibition.

The owners are John and Breck Robinson. Brad Howard will be the general manager. They hope to open Amendment 21 by mid-January.

"Our hallmark will be that everything is fresh," said John Robinson, a government contractor. "It's going to be just a bar. It will be nonsmoking inside and out, intended to provide a quiet atmosphere. There will be music in the background, but it's intended to be a place for you and who you care about to be quiet."

Robinson said Amendment 21 won't sell food, but will have typical bar snacks. There will be bars upstairs and downstairs. He says Howard, a Lee High graduate, will bring a big-city bar vibe to the place after running several different places in Manhattan.

"It will be upscale but fairly priced," Robinson said.

Italian for Hampton CoveThe new Italian spot in town, Villa of Hampton Cove, is going in at the location of the old Nikko Japanese Restaurant, 6565 U.S. 431 S. in the Hampton Cove area. The new owner is John Babbino, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., and whose family is originally from Italy. He already owns the Double Bogey sports bar and Guntersville Pizza in Marshall County.

Babbino said he plans to open Villa of Hampton Cove by the end of January and will feature 10 plasma TVs, a kids' game room and live entertainment Thursday through Saturday.He says he'll also feature the largest pizza in Alabama - a 28-inch, 6-pound pie big enough to feed six or seven. Stay tuned for opening dates.